Alabama Law Enforcement Sex Offender Liaison Training and Information Program.

The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 (AWA) (Pub. L. 109-248, 42 U.S.C. § 16901, et seq) authorizes the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking (SMART) to administer sex offender management grants. These grants assist state, local and tribal jurisdictions in developing and/or enhancing sex offender registration and notification programs that support substantial implementation of Title I of the AWA, known as the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). SORNA was enacted to protect the public from convicted sex offenders and offenders against children by establishing a comprehensive national system for the registration of those offenders.

The State of Alabama has substantially implemented the provisions of SORNA and is working toward meeting three challenges in maintaining compliance. The Alabama Office of Prosecution Services plans to ensure law enforcement officers transmit all data electronically and store it securely by installing new computers, scanners and external hard drives in 12 offices, and training officers on the use of the technology. They will also train probation and parole personnel and other justice agencies in using the technology to search databases and social media to locate absconded sex offenders and the legal process of obtaining information on sex offenders from online providers, and to enhance the infrastructure to assist implementation of SORNA through the submission of DNA. ca/ncf